Aston Martin has decided to forego defending its two-year Le Mans GT1 title in favour of the big prize: outright victory at the 2009 event. Given the speed of the latest diesel-powered racers - and the utter dominance displayed by Audi - it's an ambitious task, though new rules set out by the organisers should reduce the inherent advantage the diesel prototypes had over their petrol-fuelled rivals.
Aston's new LMP1 prototype racer was unveiled in the evocative blue and orange Gulf Oil colours. It's based on last year's Charouz Racing System Lola, which itself set the lap record at La Sarthe for petrol powered cars. The V12 engine is the same unit that powered the Aston DBR9 to its second successive GT1 class victory in 2008.
Although the odds are stacked against Aston Martin's victory, it has been 50 years exactly since it won outright and this year's attempt will commemorate that historic occasion. David Richards, Aston Martin's Chairman, told us that "2009 is a hugely significant year for Aston Martin at Le Mans and the challenge of reclaiming victory in this famous race for Aston Martin and Great Britain was simply too great to ignore."
Even with all of Richards' experience, he is not underestimating the task in hand: "However, we do not underestimate the task. While we have won the GT1 class for the last two years, competing against the proven speed and endurance of the diesel-powered cars with all their years of winning the prototype class, will be a massive undertaking."
Aston Martin's driver line-up will include Darren Turner, Jan Charouz, Harold Primat, Tomas Enge, and Stefan Mücke. In preparation for the big event in June, the Aston Martin LMP1 car will compete in the Le Mans Series, which begins on April 5th with the 1,000km de Catalunya.
Shane O' Donoghue - 28 Jan 2009